Air control valve



Dec. 2, 1941. I M. DE L-IN 4,

. AIR CONTROL 'VAL-VE Filed March 20, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z'mvenior (ltforneg Dec. 2, 1941. D 2,264,435

AIR CONTROL VALVE l Filed March 20, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig-1Z- 1/ 4- v z4- 1 f Snventor (Ittorneg Patented Dec. 2, 1941 AIR CONTROL VALVE Martin De Lin, Holland, Mich assignor to .Holland Furnace Company, Holland, Mich, a

corporation of Delaware Application March 20, 1940, Serial No. 324,971

6 Claims. (01. 251-18) My present invention relates to improvementsin air control valves, and particularly to air control valves as employed for controlling the volume of air delivered to the burner of heating furnaces and the like, wherewith liquid fuel, such as hydrocarbon oils, is employed as a base for combustion, and air, having oxygen as a major constituent, supplied to the said oil when atomized, to aid in perfecting combustion of the oil; and the objects of improvement are first, to provide an air control valve for furnace burners that will be simple in construction; second, to provide an air control valve for furnace burners that can be manufactured cheaply; third, to provide an air control valve for furnace burners that will be positive in the control of air; fourth, to provide an air control valve for furnace burners that will admit only a minimum of air to pass when the valve is closed; fifth, to provide an air control valve for furnace burners that will not cause whistling noises when the air is blown through them; sixth, to provide an air control valve for furnace burners whereby air passing therethrough will be spread laterally, thereby will be given a positive whirl and therefore produce a uniform mixture of oil and air, thus resulting in improved combustion; and, seventh, to provide an air control valve for furnace burners that will have a minimum of operative friction and therefore particularly adaptable for automatic control.

These named objects and such objects as appear from a perusal of the followingdescription, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, are attained by the structure disclosed in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on a plane through Fig. 3 on line 1-1, the view showing my air control valve in CIOSSrSECtiOIl and the housing in longitudinal section with the air supply impeller and burner mechanism in full line. Figure 2 is an external vertical elevation view of the housing in which is mounted my air control valvetogether with the air supply impeller and burner mechanism. 7

Figure 3 is an end vertical elevation View of the said housing which has the cover of the assembly window removed, thus disclosing the burner connections and-myair control valve in near closed position.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of my air control valve and cross-sectional View of the housing, wherein is installed the two valve membersofthe air control valve.

The view is taken as on a plane through Fig. 5 on line IV-IV looking in the direction the arrow indicates.

Figure 5 is a view taken on a vertical plane through my air control valve and longitudinally of the housing for the valve, the said plane being taken on line V'V of Fig. 4, looking in the direction the arrow indicates and showing the valve as partly closed.

Figure 6 is a similar view to that of 5, and differs therefrom in that the valve is completely closed.

Figure 7 is also a similar view to that .of Fig. 5 and differs therefrom in that one of .the'valve members is in what would be the closed position and the other valve member in open position.

Throughout the drawings, similar partsof my air control valve structure are referred to .by similar numerals, and referring thereto:

Numeral l refers to the housing in which is assembled my improved air control valve and associated parts thatco-act therewith, comprising the power rotated air impeller 2 that draws air into the housing through damper openings 3 at the side of the housing, and delivers the air with both velocity :and pressure to chamber 4 Within longitudinal adjustable housing member 5. Said housing member 5, in the present housing structure, has fuel supply tube 6 longitudinal of said housing member to the fuel burner 1 adjacent ignition members designated by numeral 8, by which is generated an electric are or ignition spark as fuel oil issues from the burner at the time of starting combustion. The said oil supply tube and ignition members are preferably supported by bracket 9 extending transversely of the housing member 5, that has secured to its extended end, tuyere member ID whereby the air asitis forced therethrough and through the housings, is caused to whirl by blades set at an'incline to the axis of the housing member 5 and particularly the blades I 0' within the tuyre which has a converging orifice and is slightly forward of the fuel burner l, therebyv causing the fuel oil, atomized by the burner nozzle, to'be projected into the converging and whirling columnof air passing through and from the tuyre.

Interposed between the air impeller 2 and th tuyre I0, is my improved airoontrol valve assembly, comprising a semi-cylindrical valve member H having a valve closing edge H extending longitudinally of the valve member at one side thereof. The valve member extends transversely from side to side of the'interior of the housing 1 and is slidable in annular groove I2 machined into a wall of the housing at one end of the valve member, and in like groove If at the other end of the valve; and a second semi-cylindrical valve member l4 similar to valve member ll, having valve closing edge I4 likewise similar to valve closing edge ll of valve member II. The said valve member I4 is slidable at one of its ends in annular groove I5 and in groove 16 at its opposite end. The said valve members II and i4 each have associated therewith, trunnion screw connecting member I! extending radially inward toward the axis of the grooves l2 and I5, and there secured to the trunnion screws I8 and the housing wall to the exterior of the housing Where they are secured to the slotted quadrants 20, whereby the valve members I l and [4 may be rotated or slid in their respective grooves 12-43 and l5-l6. Lock screws 22 extend through semi-circular slots 23 of the quadrants 20, are screw threaded into the housing wall and when tightened securely, hold the said quadrants 20 and therefore the valve members in their respective adjusted positions, with their valve closing edges H and 14' in opposed relation. The valve closing edges H and [4 each have intermediate their ends semi-circular scallops 24 which provide clearance for the fuel tube 6 and ignition members 8 when they are employed and the valve members are in completely closed position for preventing air to pass through the valve.

Numeral 25 refers to the cover for the assembly opening 26 extending into the housing I. 2'! refers to a deformable packing extending around the housing member 5 in annular groove 28 of the .said housing member. Curved wall 29, extending transversely of the housing I, prevents leakage of air between valve member l4 and the housing wall; when extended upward around the said valve member, it forms a cutoff or closing edge for valve member II, should it be desired to employ only one valve member. The numeral 30 designates a ledge or low wall extending transversely of the housing I and acts to prevent leakage of air between the valve member II and the wall of the housing I.

In the operation of my improved air control valve when employed in connection with a heating furnace, the valve members H and [4 are first adjusted with their closing edges H and I4 to almost closed position in relation to each other. Thereafter, the air impeller is started and rotated at a speed suflicient to generatethe desired pressure to deliver air through the only partly opened valve, into the chamber 4 of the adjustable valve member 5, and through tuyere ID that has been previously adjusted in relation to the burner nozzle 1. When the air, impelled by the air impeller that is rotated at high speed by any suitable kind of motor, issues from the tuyre H], the oil forced from the burner nozzle, by pressure produced by any suitable apparatus, is ignited as by means of an electric spark or are produced by the ignition mechanism. And, when ignited as described, combustion of the fuel will be imperfect for want of sufficient air and therefore considerable dense smoke will be produced consisting of volatilized products of combustion charged with fine particles of unburned carbon. This dense smoke is objectionable, first, because it coats the interior of the furnace with a heat insulating layer of soot, and second, because it contains combustible matter and therefore a waste of fuel. Therefore, when the combustion has been'started, the valve members H 19, extending through and I4 are adjusted by quadrants 20 in their respective grooves 12-13 and I5--l6 until the proper amount of air is supplied, passing between the valve closing edges II and M, to produce perfect combustion of the fuel comprising mixed air and atomized oil, which perfect combustion can be judged by observing the flame of the combustion. The proper adjustment having been made, as explained by the quadrants 2D exterior of the housing, the screws 22 are tightened against the quadrants and the quadrants and valve members associated therewith are securely held against accidental displace- ,ment.

The air control valve, comprising the members II and 14 extending transversely from side to side of the housing and closing to a line 01' slot extending from side to side of the housing, causes the air to be projected in a thin wide sheet the full width of the interior of the housing, and because of its width is caused to whirl by the inclined blades Ill within the tuyre In. Therefore, the air is mixed more thoroughly with the atomized fuel oil as it is projected by the nozzle, than in the older method, whereby the air is projected in a cylindrical column, and unless of sufficient size to completely fill the tuyere, will not be given the required whirl to produce a uniform mixing of the air and fuel oil. Therefore combustion will be spasmodic, for the fuel oil as it is projected from the nozzle, will mix with the axial portion of the oil column and thereby overcharge that portion of the air with oil, while the outer portion of the air issuing from the tuyere will be undercharged. The overcharged air produces smoke with its waste and the undercharged portion of air, a lower temperature.

While I have described my improved air control valve as applied to a burner unit for installation with a heating furnace and for projecting the combustion flame in a horizontal direction, it is desired it be understood that my air control valve can be adapted to a burner mechanism of substantially any type and to project the flame of combustion in any direction.

Having described my invention consisting of an improved air control valve, the rights which I desire to secure are disclosed in the claims hereafter enumerated.

I claim:

1. In an air control valve for furnaces and the l1ke,: the combination comprising a plurality of cooperative parts, a housing enclosing the said parts and having side walls in substantially parallel relation with each other, each side wall having two intersecting annular grooves therein, a pair of similar semi-cylindrical valve members extending in spaced apart parallel relation Wlth each other from side to side of the housing between the side walls thereof, each valve member having a closing edge extending longitudinally from end to end thereof and having an end of the valve member extending into one groove in one side wall and the other end extending into a groove in the opposite 'side wall, each valve member at one of its ends having a trunnion in connection therewith and extending through a side wall of the housing'at the axis of the annular groove engaging the end of the respective valve member, and a quadrant secured to the said trunnion for sliding the valve member circumferentially in said grooves and thereby adusting the valve members in closing operative relation to each other, and means for holding the said valve members in adjusted position.

2. In an air control valve for furnaces and the like, the combination comprising a plurality of co-operative parts, a housing enclosing the said parts and having side walls in substantially parallel relation with each other, each side wall having two intersecting annular grooves therein, two semi-cylindrical valve members extending in parallel relation with each other from side to side of the housing between said walls each valve member having a closing edge and an end extending into one of the intersecting grooves in one side wall and the other end thereof extending into one of the intersecting grooves in the opposite side wall, each valve member having associated therewith a, trunnion member extending exterior of the housing for sliding the said valve member in its respective grooves engaging the ends of the respective valve members, for adjusting the said valve members in closing edge relation with each other.

3. In an air control valve for furnaces and the like, the said valve comprising a plurality of cooperative valve members, a housing enclosing the said valve members and having side walls, each side wall having a plurality of intersecting annular grooves, and two semi-cylindrical valve members having closing edges and slidable in the said grooves for adjustment of one closing edge in relation to the closing edge of the other valve member, and means for holding the said valve members in said adjusted relation.

4. In an air control valve for furnaces and the like comprising a plurality of co-operative valve members within a housing having side walls and a plurality of annular grooves in each side wall, having a plurality of semi-cylindrical valve members each having a closing edge extending longitudinally thereof from side to side between the said side walls, and having their respective ends engaged by the said grooves, the said valve members being slidable in said grooves for adjustment of their closing edges in parallel relation to each other.

5. An air control valve having a hollow housing with opposed side walls each having within the housing a pair of intersecting annular grooves, the said valve comprising a pair of similar semi-cylindrical valve members each extending transversely of the housing and into one of the said grooves of one of the said side walls and having a valve closing edge extending longitudinally of the respective valve members, each valve member being rotatable and so related to each other that when rotated, the closing edge of each valve member can be brought into engagement with the valve closing edge of the other valve member.

6. An air control valve structure having a housing with opposed side walls each having a pair of intersecting annular grooves, a pair of semi-cylindrical valve members each having portions slidable circumferentially in said annular grooves, each valve member having a closing edge, means external of the housing for sliding the valve members independent of each other in said grooves and to bring the said closing edges together and thereby close the valve.

MARTIN DE LIN. 

